Sincerely, Vanessa

February 9th, 1309, Edirner Year

Dear Teacher,

I’m sure the gap between my letters is too short, but I hope you haven’t gotten bored of them.

I told you, didn’t I? There was a day when I wrote in my journal three times in one day!

Now that a week has passed, I can finally say that I’m a proper student at Bamberg Academy, right?

The professors have been holding basic classes for transfer students.

As you know, I’m the only third-year transfer student, so I have to pay attention and sit in the front during the lessons, unable to distract myself.

“Vanessa, what did I say about the three elements of magic yesterday?”

And I stutter, mumbling something in response.

There are three subjects per day, and I’m covering more than 50 pages a day, so it’s a bit hard, but it’s fun! It feels really nice when someone answers my questions.

Teacher, Bamberg Academy is truly an amazing place.

As its name suggests, the academy is surrounded by massive mountains. In the deep lake to the left, fierce mermaids are said to live. I looked carefully, but all I could see was my own reflection.

The academy is dazzling like a jewel when the sunlight shines, but sometimes, when fog rolls in, it feels dreamy, like the castle where a prince once lived.

For some reason, I prefer the foggy Bamberg to the shining one.

And not only that, there are countless spires and massive stone walls. The bricks, worn by the passage of time, have a strange color.

The golden decorations on the spires and roofs are incredibly elegant, and there are so many windows adorning them, there isn’t a single space that doesn’t let in light.

The place I visit most often these days is a hidden space at the very top of the clock tower. Behind the enormous clock face, intricate gears interlock and turn.

Watching them move silently and smoothly makes me feel at peace. If only everything could work so smoothly!

A senior, Alisa Bolton, who doesn’t go home during the holidays, showed me around the campus.

I’ve written down our conversation as best as I can remember. It may not be exact, but I hope my memory is good.

“There are hardly any third-year transfer students. How did you manage to get in?”

“I’m not sure. I submitted my application and took the exam, and they said I should join as a third-year.”

“Hmm, I’m sure there’s a reason. Professors don’t make mistakes. How old are you?”

“I’m 18.”

“I see. You’re already an adult. I’m 19, and I entered a bit late myself. Don’t worry. I was a second-year transfer student too. It wasn’t hard to adjust. Because…”

She then gazed at the distant mountains and trailed off. What do you think she meant, teacher?

Soon after, the classrooms she showed me were all beautiful.

They weren’t just ordinary classrooms; one had models of airships and trains hanging from the ceiling, floating and moving in midair!

(This is the magic engineering classroom. It’s the worst, Alisa-senpai said.)

Another classroom had a giant wall of windows that opened on one side, and outside, there was almost nothing but a few trees.

(This is where they teach swordsmanship and destructive magic for dealing with monsters. It’s the worst.)

Next was the library. Oh my, it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.

There were spiral white stairs, bookshelves full of books, ladders leaning against them, and massive desks filled with the marks of time.

The chairs, with red fabric draped over them, looked so comfortable just by looking at them.

(It may look beautiful now, but once I have to live here during exam periods, just looking at it will make me want to throw up. It’s the worst. You know who said that, right?)

I’ve always borrowed books from the local library, but the books were always dirty with someone’s scribbles or, well, something… unpleasant.

I don’t mind scribbles. It feels like peeking into someone’s thoughts. But dirty foreign substances? No one likes those, right?

The academy’s library is different. Each book is bound in beautiful leather with gold leaf, and because of that, the librarian is always watching everyone with intense focus.

Alisa-senpai, seeing that I couldn’t tear myself away from the library, dragged me back to the dormitory.

I’m still alone in the room. Thanks to that, I’ve been studying diligently without the chance to talk. I try my best to ignore the tempting bed behind me.

What if I fail?

After sending this letter, I will absolutely NOT lie down on the bed and will finish the remaining assignments instead.

Wishing you good health,

In pain as I memorize each mathematical proof,

Vanessa Rose.

p.s. Is the letter too long? Am I rambling too much? If so, please let me know, and I’ll try to shorten it.

***

“Is the letter too long? … I’ll try to shorten it.”

The man smiled briefly.

His large hand, having set the letter down, hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to go.

It wasn’t until the darkness had completely settled outside the window that he picked up his pen.

***

For Vanessa, who felt her education had been lacking, the month before the semester started was never long enough. It actually felt far too short.

Just being from an orphanage was enough of a stigma, and she didn’t want to hear people call her stupid. So, she put her best effort into the remedial lessons that started the very next day.

Although they had only known each other for two weeks, the professors, who cared for their students deeply, seemed determined to ease Vanessa’s worries.

And they did so with an overwhelming amount of classwork!

“I trust you remember everything we learned yesterday,” Professor Guido said.

Sitting alone in the middle of the classroom, Vanessa made a vague expression. There should have been only one or two things learned yesterday.

But Professor Guido continued without acknowledging her look.

“Today, let’s briefly talk about magical creatures.”

Professor Guido leisurely began writing on the board.

“According to the Friba National Dictionary, magical creatures include various beings, such as monsters and fairies. Any being with magical elements is generally considered a magical creature. But here’s a question: how do we define a monster?”

Vanessa kept her eyes as wide as possible, but Professor Guido was unforgiving.

“Why are your eyes so wide? Try answering with your mouth, not your eyes.”

“…Maybe it’s determined by whether or not they harm people?”

Professor Guido wrote down Vanessa’s answer and drew a big circle around it.

“That’s right. It’s a definition based purely on human standards, so sometimes creatures go from being monsters to not being monsters, and vice versa, in an inconsistent way. Recently, a lot of creatures are being reclassified as monsters.”

Professor Guido spoke quickly, but would occasionally ask Vanessa for her opinion, leaving her no time to relax.

Learning about monsters and fairies, things she had only read about in books, was fun at first, but as they got into the finer details of classifications, her interest began to fade quickly.

I never knew that the angle of a fairy’s wings was so important for classification, but I wondered if I could even recognize it if I saw it in person.

Professor Guido’s class was at least somewhat bearable, but when it came to Professor Bombalow’s math class, Vanessa felt as though she had been hit by a truck and was exhausted.

“How can you be in my

In reality, the homework load was like being hit.

By the time all the classes were over, it was already past 4 p.m. The lonely Vanessa climbed slowly back to the dormitory, carrying a pile of books.

Today, she thought, the math homework from Professor Bombalow would be more than enough to fill the rest of her day. However, there were so many things she didn’t know, so she would have to go to the library to find reference materials.

She turned the slightly chipped golden key several times to open the dormitory door. What had once seemed incredibly beautiful now just looked like a desk and a bed.

“I just want to lie down…”

But if she lay down, it was obvious she wouldn’t be able to get up again.

With a deep sigh, Vanessa hurriedly began organizing her books and getting ready to go to the library, when she suddenly felt a strange sense of unease. It was the same room as always, yet something felt off.

Vanessa tilted her head, wondering what the issue was. And then, she opened her eyes wide.

A letter was lying at the entrance to the Hornir room, which had beautiful ceramic-like curves.

Vanessa rubbed her eyes twice. Could it be a dream? But no matter how much she rubbed, the letter remained right in front of her.

Carefully, Vanessa picked up the letter.

It had a beautiful milky-colored envelope with a red wax seal. On it, in a tilted and decorative script, was written “To Miss Vanessa Rose.”

Vanessa both wanted to know and didn’t want to know what was inside this incredibly beautiful letter.

But in the end, she broke the seal and carefully unfolded the letter.

***

To Miss Vanessa Rose,

This is my first time sending a reply. Since we are meeting through a letter, I must first say that it is a pleasure to do so.

I am glad to meet you, Miss Vanessa Rose. As you have called me, I too shall refer to myself as your teacher. Although it is quite an excessive title.

I am enjoying reading your letters. I know that you must be very busy learning many things at the Academy.

Especially as a late entry, I can imagine how hard it must be to catch up with the initial coursework. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.

You may not know this, but it is the first time I have personally chosen a benefactor. It was also quite a coincidence that I visited that small village.

It is even more miraculous that I happened to see you walking, almost dancing between beams of light.

As you did not ask for anything, I am sending you some beautiful notebooks bound in leather and a pen.

There are no other conditions for this sponsorship, so I hope you will learn much and record everything.

From your teacher.

p.s. I cannot express how much I look forward to seeing the thick letter envelope inside the Hornir room.

***

Vanessa folded the letter and brushed her warm cheeks.

The first reply she had ever received felt so overwhelming that it almost brought her to tears. It filled her with strength, all the way to the tips of her fingers.

It was like magic.

Vanessa placed the letter under the window where the sunlight streamed in. Just looking at it made her heart feel warm.

Vanessa cheerfully packed her math textbook and pen, heading to the library. The exhaustion she had felt earlier was nowhere to be found, and her steps felt light.

***

For a while, Vanessa stayed up, fueled by the response from her teacher, and only fell asleep after 3 a.m.

Thanks to that, her assignments were perfect, and she had reviewed and prepared for all her lessons, earning praise from her professors.

However, the energy seemed to have run out, and today, her eyes kept closing.

The pressure on her thighs from sitting had long since lost its effect. Vanessa felt her head begin to lean toward the desk, but she had no strength left to resist.

Just then, she was suddenly startled by a loud noise and opened her eyes.

Something was banging against the door, and the doorknob rattled.

Shocked, Vanessa carefully stood up, grabbed a thick book that could be used as a weapon, swallowed nervously, and quietly walked to the door, waiting.

One, two, three!

“Ahhh!”

“Ahhh!”

The two of them screamed as their faces collided.

“Wh-what?! Who are you?!”

“I-I’m Vanessa Rose…”

“You scared me!”

The girl in front of Vanessa exhaled deeply, her hand over her chest. She looked like she came from a noble family.

Her intentionally wavy hair shone with luster, and her clothes were perfectly formal. Not a speck of dust was on her shiny shoes.

“Okay. So, you’ll be sharing a room with me. I hope you last a while.”

The girl smiled brightly and extended her hand.

“I’m Lina Delina, 3rd year. Nice to meet you.”